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San Jose to Monteverde. Days 3 and 4

We are a punctual group! Everyone was ready and waiting at 6 am and I shared my mandarins! The hotel gave us no consideration at all, nothing to drink, never mind eat before we headed off. The guide tells us that this place is not up to scratch but he says they are all the same and have an I don't care attitude!

We drive in 2 cabs to the bus station where we board our 6.30 bus. The bus is a local coach service, comfortable and clean and we leave on time. Along the way we pick up a few more passengers but I manage to keep 2 seats to spread out on! We drive towards the coast and then down the Panamerican highway and up into the mountains. The mountain road is narrow and gravel. Fairly well maintained but I was glad to be on the inside of the lane and not have to look at the drop! Missed out on a few good photos opportunities though! A picturesque drive through farming land, settlements and reach our destination at Monteverde in 3 and a half hours. Monteverde means green mountains but the drive seemed very dry and dusty to us and not as green as we all expected.

The little town is very cute but very touristy with all amenities and it is a bit difficult to stay away from the shops!

We left our belongings at the hotel, the guide walked us around the town which was not historical and merely showed us where we could lunch and find the pharmacy! So lunch we did in a place called the tree house. The place is actually built around a massive tree and you have to duck and weave around the branches! Once again mainly European food offerings with a little local food. I must be sick as I have only had 1 glass of wine since arriving, just not appealing to me but certainly does to a few of the others!

We then all went our separate ways again with me perusing the glass gallery and a few shops. There is a lot of timber products here, bowls and boxes which are beautifully made. The guide told me that most of it is made by the Indian population from river drift wood and fallen branches. Beautifully crafted and the price is good, just trying to justify!!!! Once again this is their nod to the environment as the timber needs to be cleared from the rivers to prevent unintentional damming.

I returned to the hotel and found my room. It is a much nicer place here. The rooms are very clean, basic but with a bit more warmth and charm. The grounds are gorgeous and gardens are very well cared for. The water is solar heated and once again very concerned about recycling and the environment.

My bedroom is upstairs, large with 2 queen beds ( I paid single supplement so this is all mine) and has a lovely balcony over looking the valley and it a gorgeous view and amazing to see the clouds sweep across and feel the dampness even though it is warm and sunny.

We are at sub cloud level and it is the cloud forest that we will be visiting.

A 5.30 we are picked up for a night walk in the forest in anticipation of seeing mammals, birds, snakes and insects. I would be happy just to see the mammals and birds personally!!!

Because of the latitude here ( which I don't fully understand but is something to do with 10 degrees)!!!! The days don't vary with daylight hours. It gets light at 6 and dark at 6 with minimal variation. We head to a forest, are introduced to a guide , issued with torches and off we go. I am so glad that I bought some walking shoes and a windcheater with me!!! We tramped up and down hills and tracks for nearly 2 hours and saw a little bit of life but although pleasant wasn't spectacular. I expected more! We did see a couple of toucans, some other birds that I can't remember, a sloth, a bright green tree viper, a tarantula hiding in a hole ( thank goodness) and a quite rare gold beetle that was beautiful. One of the girls discovered the beetle after it flew into her face, she swiped it away hitting me and I fell into another girl and fortunately the guide caught us before we rolled down the hill like dominoes.

Our guide has suggested a local typical food restaurant for dinner, we are a bit skeptical after the first 2 expensive meals but this one is great! Really good food at a decent price. $11 for 2 bottles of water, a mango drink and a main meal with a little bit of dulce de leche (caramel) to take home. I ate a local dish, casado con cachula. It was a plate of rice ( black beans which I didn't have) a lettuce and tomato salad with heaps of coriander which was delicious, fried sweet platano which I am hooked on, a pickle and a little pork chop with heaps of fried onions. Delicious. We are all well fed and very happy!!!

Back to the hotel for another early morning. Good news is that the substantial breakfast they offer is only $7. I actually don't get too concerned about the costs as you have to eat and I want to eat properly. But there are travelers on a strict budget and there are so many additional expenses that these extra costs are killing them.

Day 4 starts with an 8 am pick up from the hotel. We are heading off to the cloud forest which as the name suggests is at cloud level. We are doing zip lining across the canopy, Tarzan swinging, seeing the hummingbird garden and then a walk across the 10 hanging bridges. I am trying not to think too much about it all. A couple have pulled out due to the cost and another who is petrified of heights.

We climb quite high in the van and are dropped off at the entrance amidst the clouds and mist streaming across which of course bring with them the damp which is soon followed by continuous rain. This is the micro weather pattern up here , totally different from down hill. We pay our $70 and are sent off to harness up and meet our guides for the next 2 hours. Zip lining is when your harness is attached to the steel ropes, you bring up your knees , cross your feet and are pushed out into the middle of nowhere and whiz and scream along the cable for a distance ranging from 50 meters to 1000 meters. The worst bit is standing on the platform and feeling like a little slip and you are over the edge. Not possible are we were hooked onto a cable at every moment. So you go screaming out over the canopy, into cloud so you can't see where you are and then out again with a frantic guide signaling to brake! Terrifying but exhilarating. Half way through we had to trek up another steep hill to the next set, this is when I remembered that my ventolin was in my back pack down in the locker!!! Breathing was bordering on an asthma attack but because I knew what was happening I stopped until it settled. By the time we did the 14th line we were all exhausted but wanting more!!! At the end of the lines we had the choice of doing the Tarzan swing. I only wanted to look but before I knew it and could back out I had been harnessed up and pushed over the edge into a free fall which then became a BIG swing over the lower canopy. Apparently I did swear out rather loudly, not intentional but I wasn't expecting to be pushed over quite so quickly. I wanted a bit of time to think about it!

The weather didn't clear up for us and the rain got heavier so we tramped back to the restaurant for a coffee before heading off for our bridge walk. Once again, this was a BIG walk up mountain tracks and over swinging bridges that seemed quite tame when they were short but as they got longer and higher I got over them as quickly as possible and tried not to look down. Felt very uncomfortable and I wasn't the only one! We walked for about 90 minutes and the yawning indicated we were all getting very weary. Also we actually hadn't had enough to eat or drink for the intensity of this exercise and were all feeling the effects.

We returned to the hotel mid afternoon where I chilled out and ate more fruit before we again met up for dinner at 7. Ate a similar meal to the night before, purchased some coffee beans that were grown and roasted locally and back to the room by 9. I am becoming a Wowser!

This area also has an interesting history. In the 1950s a group of Quakers from the USA decided to find a new place to live in Central America . They wanted an environment where they could continue their dairy farming and organic practices. They came across Monteverde and discovered that it was perfect for their needs and settled here bringing with them their dairy cattle that flourished. They made cheeses and butter and spread their knowledge and practices with the community. They they proceeded to get all the local farmers on board and formed a cooperative whereby they purchased the milk to continue their production. This gave the community purpose and a worthwhile industry that benefited everybody. There are now coffee plantations and agriculture as this is rich volcanic soil.

History lesson over, body aching like mad, a cold night so I can feel a good deep sleep coming on if the coughing stops, today's activities probably didn't help too much.

Tomorrow another 8 am start and on to Arenal, a volcanic area about an hour and a half drive from here.

Buenos noches amigos, hasta luego!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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